Key points
- Designers brought a rare breath of fresh air at Paris Men’s Fashion Week
- Fashion Week was a “shot of creativity that felt incredibly good”: Alice Feillard
- The spring-summer 2026 season “is much more creative: Adrien Communier
PARIS, France: Colours ran wild and outlines softened at Paris Men’s Fashion Week, which ends Sunday, as designers brought a rare breath of fresh air to a gloomy fashion climate.
Despite the heavy news cycle and economic turbulence affecting the luxury sector, this Fashion Week was a “shot of creativity that felt incredibly good”, Alice Feillard, men’s buying director at Galeries Lafayette, told AFP.
“More creative”
The spring-summer 2026 season “is much more creative than the previous ones, which were a bit duller”, said Adrien Communier, the fashion editor at GQ France.
Both experts observed a more relaxed vibe, with Feillard pointing to “good humour” and “optimism”, while Communier noted a “lighter mood”.
“With so many debuts, there was a sense of renewal. And so, I found that people were more curious,” he added.
After a notable women’s show in March, Julian Klausner made waves Thursday with his first menswear show for Dries Van Noten, while Jonathan Anderson’s long-awaited debut at Dior drew applause on Friday.
A renewed burst of creativity lit up the runways, most visibly through bold colour choices. Brown tones and pastels made way for a richer, more saturated palette for next summer.
“Rich tones”
Dior Homme took a more restrained approach, showcasing rich tones like a deep forest green on structured pieces.
The tones sometimes appeared as prints — tiger at Kenzo, childlike safari at Louis Vuitton and floral at Dior.
At Comme des Garcons Plus, prints leaned into pop-style 1970s geometry. Stripes were ubiquitous but subtle, adding detail without overwhelming. Designers leaned into fluidity with flared trousers, long jackets, open shirts and an ongoing pyjama trend.
